3 Jets takeaways as preseason comes to a close

The Jets won’t take the field again until Monday, Sept. 9, in San Francisco. Here are three takeaways from training camp and preseason.  

1. The offense is catching up to the defense.

It’s too soon to anoint the Jets one of the best offenses in football, but they have the potential to be very good, diverse and explosive. The defense has been top five the past two years and is shooting for No. 1 this season. (Having Haason Reddick would help.) Aaron Rodgers looks better than he did in last season’s camp. That’s in part because many of the players are in Year 2 in the system.

The Jets also upgraded the talent around Rodgers and have made improvements from within. Garrett Wilson looks un-coverable and Breece Hall’s versatility could make him the best all-around back not named Christian McCaffrey. The offensive line is far better. The running back room is better. The receiver room is better and Mike Williams has yet to practice.

One impressive aspect from training camp and the joint practices is how Rodgers’ offense operates in the two-minute drill. Their red-zone offense could be tough to stop, too. If they stay healthy, they should be fun to watch.  

2. Takk attack.

Takk McKinley deserves to be on the Jets’ 53-man roster, and not just because of his 2.5 sacks in their preseason finale against the Giants. McKinley, a 2017 Falcons first-round pick, had a strong training camp. He was the Jets’ best second/third-team pass rusher and earned some starting reps with Reddick holding out. McKinley is trying to resurrect his career and is out to prove he belongs and can produce in the NFL.

He hasn’t played since 2022 or had a sack since 2021, which he said is why he spun around on the turf after bringing down Tommy DeVito in an homage to former WWE wrestler Booker T. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich recruited McKinley in college and coached him with Atlanta. There is a familiarity and trust there. McKinley doesn’t want to let Ulbrich or the Jets down for giving him this chance. He made the most of his opportunity in camp and he could turn out to be a good low-risk, high-reward signing.  

3. Tough calls coming.

The Jets’ most difficult decisions in trimming their roster to 53 by 4 p.m. Tuesday will be on the defensive line. Leonard Taylor III and Braiden McGregor raised some eyebrows with their play in camp and the preseason. Jalyn Holmes and Eric Watts flashed, too.

Ulbrich and defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton do a great job of developing players up front, building their confidence and putting them in positions to succeed.

This is the fourth year they have been together and their initial 53 featured nine, 11 and 10 D-linemen, respectively. If the Jets have 10 on their initial 53, Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson, Javon Kinlaw, Solomon Thomas, Will McDonald, Micheal Clemons and Leki Fotu essentially are locks.

We’re giving the remaining three spots to McKinley, Taylor and Holmes. (We’re excluding Reddick right now, although things could change by the Sept. 9 opener.) Watts and McGregor could be practice team guys.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.